More Than A Bio-Machine
by Eule Vix
Summary: But she wasn't truly watching the blood be cleansed away from the walls and floor nor was she gazing back into her own blood splattered reflection in the window. No, she was years away, watching memories or better times unfold. Lauren Mallard/OC, Daniel/Kevin, fluff, minor character death, canon death, written PRE Old Oak Doors Part B.
1. Ten Years Ago

More Than Just a Bio-Machine

By Eule Vix

Disclaimer: I do not own Welcome to Night Vale nor do not make money off of this fic.

Chapter 1: Ten Years Ago

* * *

_Lauren pressed the red button to the left of the door and then peered back through the window into the steel walled room. She had just finished the last layoff of the day, her body sore and yellow suit speckled red. The box of new donated resources that the ex-employees had given was heavy in her tired arms, and some of the blood that had not been fully drained seeped out and over her fingers. She ignored her body's pleas for rest as she watched little vents open around the edges of the room. A mixture of water and cleaning chemicals cascaded down the walls and washed away the pooled blood and remaining bone and flesh chunks down into the large grate in the center of the room._

_But she wasn't truly watching the blood be cleansed away from the walls and floor, nor was she gazing back into her own blood splattered reflection in the window. No, she was years away, watching memories or better times unfold._

[+]-[+]-[+]

_Ten Years Ago_

Lauren could tell that she was lying across a flight of stairs. Her head was pounding, wrists on fire from the lingering rope burns, and her sides sore with eventual bruises in the shape of boots. She rocked herself onto her elbows and pulled back the strands of hair that covered her face. She looked up, and smiled.

In shining yellow letters overlaying an orange triangle read the words **Strex Corp. Synergists Inc.** with underneath in a sandy yellow **DESERT BLUFFS HQ**. She could not have been more happy.

Once she would be able to stand and walk through those doors her life would change, if it hadn't already. One step would be the first of many to follow on to her goal, to being a part of Strex, a part of the Smiling God; to being _perfect_. Shaking and slipping only once, she eventually managed to stand up, her purse heavy in her hand and head still woozy from the interview and light beatings. She dragged herself up the steps and through the double glass doors and stepped into the cool recirculated air of the building.

The lobby was bright, so stunningly bright, for a brief time; as if the Smiling God had for a mere moment in time greeted her itself. The light dimmed down until she could see clearly. White pearlescent walls done in filigreed squares ran in a circle around the back of the lobby. The edges of each section like that of a giant tooth, smooth and perfect, wrapped around the edges of red detained with gold delicate designs. The half-moon desk in the center of the room was of white birch wood, flawless and the corners and edges lined with mother of pearl or maybe opal. The shifting light that came through the windows that lined the sides of the front doors would occasionally catch and shine with so many colors. Above the lobby desk was the only picture in the room, a large and wide picture of a perfect smile with perfect teeth. Everything seemed to sparkle and shine with a bright light she could not place the origin of, it was like each surface was encased in glitter or fresh blood.

It was more perfect then she could have imagined, and for the first time, she felt at home.

A loud chime rang over the intercoms laced throughout the building snapped her out of her daze, bringing her world back into focus. All the people that had been bustling about had stopped and looked up, all listening intently as a female voice echoed in the perfect silence.

"Attention. All Strex Employees. Will all new interns please report to Orientation in thirty minutes. Attention..." The voice repeated itself again before the chime sounded, signifying the end of the interruption and the white noise of work could be heard again.

Her palms felt grimy and slick with sweat. She had no idea where to possibly find Orientation room, knowing that if she was late for her first day her dreams and any ones of the future would be rendered into a literal pulp. She started to frantically search her purse and then her body, hoping and pleading that the interviewer didn't forget to give her the information. Eventually she let out a deep sigh when she found the desired paper folded in her pocket. She checked her watch and smirked, happy that if she hurried she would have enough time to freshen up and still make it to Orientation on time.

After she had gotten to the bathroom she quickly washed her face free of the sweat, blood and tears the dried on her skin. Once her face was clean she shed her vomit and blood covered coat and shirt, tossing both into the waste bin, and pulling out clean clothes from inside of her large purse. She looked in the mirror, straightening her hair carefully, smiling with pride that she had come so prepared. Once she deemed herself again presentable she briskly walked out of the restroom and followed the directions to the Orientation room.

She entered the room with five minutes to spare. The room had the same pearly walls but on them there were paintings of teeth and curled lips amidst the welcoming sight of blood slashes and organs nailed to them in varied places; the contrast of white and red and warm grins brought one to Lauren's own face. A table with some snacks and drinks sat next to the door, the masked table captain monitoring those who came to retrieve the portions they were allowed. The room was semi-filled, a few people chatting, others sitting and scribbling notes, and a few people sitting against the wall curled into a fetal position rocking back and forth and back and forth. She decided to save the topic of food for later, finding her stomach still unsettled from the kicks she had received to it, and instead wove between the other roaming interns and new hires finding a safe seat in the second row. Not too far enough away to be unable to see what was being shown and not close enough for the instructor to have a clean shot at ripping out her guts if given the chance. She had taken to watching the walls and the slow drip of the fresh blood running over the old, stilling herself in preparation for what might happen next.

She could feel the change in the atmosphere when he walked in. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled and she could smell the undertones of oil and ozone permeate the room. She turned and watched him cross the room, the people growing silent and those that could moving to empty chairs. The plated lines on his face gave away that he was one of the new bio-machines, the most recent in innovative technology in Desert Bluffs. He strode to the front of the room, commanding everyone within it without as much of a word. He was pure and raw power, seamless productivity, every move he made deliberate and with complete purpose and maximized results with small effort. He was the perfect worker.

"Good morning. new Strex Corp. Employees and Interns. My name is Daniel, I will be your Orientation leader for today."

[+]-[+]

They had just been released for lunch, but Lauren found herself scarcely hungry. Despite that the room had been so welcoming and the lecture quite riveting, she found herself queasy. Little more the half the room remained of new hires, the bodies that littered the floor being dragged away by more of the masked workers. She did her best to wipe off the blood from someone who had been unlucky enough to have been sitting in the front, focusing on the smearing stain to help quell her shaking.

Daniel had taken no time in showing himself to be ruthless in his selection of those who made it pass orientation. He noted that the weak did not belong in Strex, that only those who wanted to reach, strive, and achieve their fullest potential could be accepted. The streaks of blood of her shirt became unnerving to her as she couldn't brush more of them away, and instead took to placing her sweating hands together and twiddling her thumbs.

'What if I'm not good enough? What if I can't be the employee I need to be? I….My career can't end here.' She thought to herself, 'I don't want it to end here.'

It took her around ten minutes to finally decide she needed to eat something because nothing else she did seemed to be able to still her nervousness. She went out following the directions she had been given to the cafeteria and waited in the short line. As she did she scanned the area for a suitable eating area but by the time she had reached the end of the line with her pre-made sandwich, she could see no empty tables. She gripped the plastic container tighter, the receipt in her hand crinkled from the curling of her fingers as she swallowed and took a step towards the first set of people she recognized from Orientation.

"Hi. I'm intern Lauren." She said as soon as she reached the table. It held a small group of three girls who stopped mid conversation, their eyes wide and dilated, faces pasty and drained at the sight of her. "Mind if I join you? We can talk about Strex or..or work? Just get to know each other better!" The girls continued their unbroken gaze as she put on her most winning smile. The drawl of the cafeteria soon became all the response Lauren seemed to be getting until one of them started to roll back their eyes, body seeming to vibrate as dark blood started to ooze from the tear ducts, ears, and mouth of the girl. Lauren bit her inner lip doing what she could to keep herself under control.

"Well, it seems your table is full so enjoy your lunch and maybe we'll see each other on one of the floors!" She scurried away, not looking back, the feelings if rejection and hatred churning in her. She began to look again to see if there might be anyone that might let her join their table.

She tried again and again, each time met with some kind of rejection from the table. At one table before she even got close the two at the table started to howl and point at her, at another a man had started to repeatedly stab his left hand over and over again with a fork, a third the people there started to vomit their entrails, and all of it left Lauren in near tears. She thought that by now she would have been used to rejection. But she had been so ready for a new start, so ready to be able to be seen in a new light and possibly without judgment. Maybe they had read her profile, maybe they just didn't like how she dressed, she could never tell. She just knew that she had only a few more minutes to eat, he stomach now growling in hunger and nervousness replaced with fury and feeling so very, very alone in the crowded café.

"That's not very productive Ms. Mallard." The deep electronic voice of Daniel from beside her washed over her. She felt sudden relief that at least someone noticed her; even if it was the deadly orientation leader commenting on her lack of work ethic.

"S-Sorry Daniel. I cannot seem to find a proper seating arrangements due to…unforeseen circumstances."

"There are some proper seating arrangements from across from me. You don't have long, so I recommend you sit now." She turned to fully face him. He was not looking at her, and instead continuing to consume the last bits of his soup that smelt odd and left a tangy residue in her mouth. She knew she should be afraid of him. That even now at any moment he could, and quite possibly would, reach across the table and rip out her heart, or chunks of flesh, or bone and he would gladly add them to the resources of the company. But she was to grateful for the gesture for her to honestly care.

She sat down and started to feast on her sandwich. She didn't have long to eat it, nearly choking twice on the wheat bread and roast beef; but it had been the most wonderful sandwich she had the joy to taste. She wasn't sure if it was the products they had used or that for the first time in a while she had someone to eat with. She was certain that she would have to try this again soon, sitting in silence and eating with the closest thing to good company she could have.


	2. Cyborg

More Than Just a Bio-Machine

By Eule Vix

Disclaimer: I do not own Welcome to Night Vale nor do not make money off of this fic.

Chapter 2: Cyborg

* * *

The room had been long cleaned, her arms a continuous pain, and the skin on the bottom of her feet burning in her shoes. Yet she continued to stare. Smile hidden, face lax, and eyes dull.

She knew what he would say. She knew that like the leader, he was created to be she would have been chastised for such unproductive behavior. And yet here she was, new Vice President of Strex, completely in the position she always hoped to have one day, and yet she couldn't bring herself to even as much as smirk.

[+]-[+]-[+]

It had been too months since she had started her work at Strex HQ. She had been in the small handful of people who had managed to make it past Orientation; and just in that she was proud of herself.

She had been given menial tasks for the moment until she could be trusted with larger more important work. For now her days would rotate between coffee gopher, copy runner, and interrogation room cleaner. Today she was particularly happy since she was on the rotation to clean up after the mandated questioning of various Strex employees. Sure, sometimes there was quite a mess to pick up, but it wasn't the limbs or eyes or organs that Lauren enjoyed seeing. No, it was once all the small contributions had been given, the employees who gave their still hopefully alive, she would be allowed to visit their cubicle and with the remains help decorate their office for that special personal touch; sometimes literally when there were a few hands to be able to adorn the walls with.

She had already filled in her mandated 2 hours of overtime, but had decided that the office of Ms. Mirth needed an extra special touch. She was happy with her choices today, she didn't have any fingers as she usually liked to use, but found that the overabundance of tongues did quite nicely for the sunflower she was making on the back wall above the couch. She always fancied herself an artist, or at the least someone who was very skilled with her hands. She had made sure to mention this in her interview; anything that was an asset to you was an asset to Strex and would mean you were more likely to keep it attached. Anything else was up for contributions.

As she finished pinning the last of the slimy pale pink tongues she reminisced of times that were happy, and so very long ago. Some of the memories were blurry, a haze of red and grey in the forgotten network of her mind. But what she did remember was the ash falling from the sky like snow, so many limbs and heads and bodies that littered the street for days, and the stunning things she made day to day as she wondered the streets in her stained yellow dress. Oh, what she would give to be six again, to be able to frolic to care free and not have to worry of the world she would return to every night, to forget the scratchy bed of the orphanage.

She was glad to find herself done with her latest work before her mind turned to dark, less smiling, places. She stood back and judged it, deciding she was satisfied and that there wasn't anything else she could add to her masterpiece of the day. She did her best to remember the pattern so that if she got the chance she could re-create it in a week when the decorations needed to be changed. She gathers up what remained and headed out, locking the office door behind her.

She wondered the halls, heading towards the storage unit for all the left over employee contributions. She pulled open the large metal door, the rush of freezing air pricking her skin. She hated the cold, preferring the heat of the desert as her comfort. She hadn't thought to bring a stylized jacket that day, only wearing a light green business suit with short sleeves and low cuts. She brought the box closer to her chest trying to conserve what heat she could as she traveled through the large fridge. She had just found the correctly dated spot for her container when she heard a voice that sounded familiar.

"Please explain what you two are doing in here unauthorized and off the clock?" It was her Orientation Leader Daniel, after that day she'd made sure to commit that voice to memory.

"Oh look, it's Mr. Perfect the Bio-Machine who thinks he can boss anyone he wants around." The voice was high pitched almost like that of a whine. She was always one to be tempted by curiosity and she found herself losing to it. She gave in and edged herself against the shelves heading towards the sound, box still in hand, doing what she could to see what was going on without getting caught.

"That is not my designation." She was so close to being able to see the three figures around the corner now, standing in a deep and almost hidden part of the freezer.

"Oh, like it matters. You're not human, so what do you care. We can call you whatever we want cyborg." She felt her body tense. She had heard of the discrimination of the new Bio-Machines, some people upset saying that their human brains made their still imperfect and thus should be destroyed. Others just hating them that they were not human at all, claiming only those born only of flesh and organs could be made perfect in the eyes of the Smiling God. Lauren had never bothered to learn of the troubles concerning the bio-machines, figuring that her own had been more pressing. So she found herself slightly confused as a fierce anger surged in her veins at the slur word uttered by the third girl.

"I repeat. That is not my designation. I am giving you both one final warning be-"

"Before you what? Are you going to spill some of your precious oil on us?"

"Better not tell him that Abby, he might be one of those weird cyborgs that get off to that kind of stuff."

"Ewww….How could you be so vile, and in front of sweet young ladies like us?"

She didn't know when she had reached into the box in her hands, nor when she grabbed hold of the largest bone chunk she could find, but before she had much time to even think about stopping she had lunged out of her hiding place. She place a right leg behind her and reared her arm holding the bone into a powerful throw and aimed at the nearest girl's head. She smiled glad she did not know her own strength when the sharp jagged edges of the broken bone ripped across the girl's head and ear, cutting her flesh. The girl let out a cry as both Daniel and the other girl turned to see where the assault had come from.

"Back off!" Lauren reached into the box again, this time finding only a foot as her largest weapon. She again reared back ready to throw, aiming this time at the other girl who's eyes were wide and body shaking. "Before I make you…" she felt her muscles tense as she was about to hurl the bloody stump.

"That's enough." Lauren froze as though a command word had been uttered, she watched Daniel, his face flush with anger. He looked back to the two girls, hands balled in fury behind his back. "Now, before I decided I need to have a serious tall with both your Managers I suggest you both leave. And if you don't," he paused making sure to look them each in the eyes. "I will personally make sure that the correct paperwork for the firing process is completed."

Lauren watched them both pale, realizing too late they had upset the wrong Bio-Machine. The one who did not have the head wound grabbed the other by the wrist and pulled her quickly out of the freezer. Lauren slowly lowered the severed foot she had been holding and placed it back in the box. She found herself unable to make eye contact with Daniel and so she just studied the blood patterns that crept along the sturdy cardboard surface she held in her arms. She knew she had over stepped her boundaries on a multitude of levels, that she should have never assaulted another Strex Employee, that she should never have threaten another Strex Employee, and more importantly that Daniel was the obvious one in charge and she should have left it to him to handle in the first place.

She could hear the clang of metal against metal as Daniel slowly made his way over to where she stood. He kept her head low, ready to accept the punishment that was to be torn from her. She silently pleaded in her mind that he would make it quick. She then felt a warm and heavy hand on her shoulder. The synthetic skin of his feeling comforting but odd with its foreign texture.

"Thank you."

The words shocked her, she felt confused and unsure of how to respond. The hand was removed as Daniel continued on, his footsteps echoing off the walls of the silent metal cooler. She listened even after the squeak of the door and the fade of his steps behind it. She was then all alone, encased in the chill and wrapped up in her own confusion. It took her some time but she soon finished the task she had at hand and clocked out for the night.

It had been two weeks before she had heard anything in reference to the two girls from that day. Apparently one had been caught preforming some unproductive actions with another girl, a different one, not the one who had the wounds. Lauren learned that her severance package paperwork and other forms for the firing process had been filled out by the end of that day.


	3. The First Big Step

More Than Just a Bio-Machine

By Eule Vix

Disclaimer: I do not own Welcome to Night Vale nor do not make money off of this fic.

Chapter 3: The First Big Step

* * *

_She willed herself to move. He wouldn't have wanted her to waste so much time, to be so slack in productivity. She reminded herself this as she placed one foot in front of the other following the white walled trail back to her office. She should be happy. She had just collected a large box of her favorite supplies. She should be smiling. She had only almost a month ago become the new Vice President. But she was not happy, and she was not smiling. She felt nausea and disgust well, churn, and mix in her chest as she neared the elevator. After the doors had closed, the button for the top floor pressed, she placed a bloodied shaky hand against her face._

"_Lauren…you foolish, silly, girl."_

[+]-[+]-[+]

It had taken around three years but Lauren now found herself on the threshold of the first large step of her dream. She knew that this was it, the letter was the signature blue with an orange seal on the back. She had always wondered why it was blue, not yellow or red or white or some other happy color. She regarded its meaning as she turned the envelope over in her hand; contents still sealed inside.

She had been waiting for nearly a year for this letter since she had taken over Stacy's position last spring after helping her reorganize her office. She now held the title of Floor Lead for the Research and Development Department; it seemed like such a short time since she was last an intern. She had done it, taken the baby steps from Intern to entry level employee, to Shift Lead, to Floor Lead. The productivity of her department had increased by 10.32% and there was a decrease of 3.58% in employee loss; of course with those numbers who wouldn't want to discuss a promotion with her.

"I do believe promotion letters are meant to be read dear Lauren." She was jostled out of her thoughts and looked up to her friend sitting across from her. Daniel was having his usually order of bio-matter soup, his spoon lay untouched as he eyed Lauren curiously from across the table.

"Oh Daniel~" she cooed tenderly at him. "I will read it! I'm just…a little _nervous_ is all." It was a lie, and Lauren knew this but to say that she was terrified was not a truth she wanted to admit, to give any power to. She wanted to, for as long as she could, feel like she was holding all the cards. She started to bounce her right leg rhythmically, a physical distraction from her rapid beating heart and waves of nauseous worry.

"Nervous? You, Lauren?" He leaned forward and rested his head on one of his hands, the other picking up his spoon. "_Unheard of_." She placed the letter down on the table, waving a finger in Daniel's face as he continued to watch her and a smug smile on his face.

"I'll have you know it's scarcely even _that_. Why it's more like the lingering flutter of a kiss from our Smiling God!" She placed her hand back on the table, watching his eyes closely and they adjusted and focused in on her like a camera. "Besides, what is there to be nervous of?" Her own mind answered her with all the possibilities as they were accompanied by Daniel's smile. Typically she found him reassuring and calming for her when it came to new situations. Now he only seemed to be making it worse. She was about to change subject when he leaned back, readjusted his dark blue suit, and rested a hand on the end of his spoon.

"I suppose your right." He tapped the metal edge of his bowl twice, as he always did before starting a meal, and started to spoon the black liquid matter into his mouth. She huffed, and went to her own food, more picking at it then actually trying to eat. She couldn't help push away the worries the blue envelope held, along with the fears of somehow not surviving her first and possibly last promotion.

[+]-[+]

Lunch had long ended and she had still not opened the letter. She was currently on her mandated fifteen minute break, sitting in her gray cubical, designs of her own of a green meadow and a yellow sun. She adverted her eyes from the blue stain and instead focused on the missing patch from the setting she had been working on. The idea of how if sure survived or maybe even avoided the whole promotion that she would be able to come back and finish the last pieces of the small mural; she only needed maybe one or two more weeks for enough mold to grow on the new set of tongues so that he meadow could be the right color. It didn't help when those _not smiling_ thoughts moved back into her head, of if she wasn't good enough, that her productivity had not been what the Smiling God wanted and by some act of their she would be struck down. That someone else would take her place.

She yelped as a sharp pain suddenly stabbed into her left hand. She looked down to find her chair handle had split, the plastic having given way to her grip, and ran a large sliver of splintered hard plastic into her palm. She smiled down at the cut, glad for the physical distraction, and took her time pulling it out.

It was once she had finished, her hand slowly leaking blood, that she felt that she could finally open the cursed thing she had been avoiding. Blood smeared across like her hand it's self was a brush of absolute beauty, but now was not the time to revel in her own art. She flicked open the seal and pulled out the stark white and thick paper.

It detailed who she was, her employee number, her address, her list of accomplishments,ending in the dreaded words she knew were inevitable. It was followed by a time that was fast approaching.

"**Please come to the Office of Mark Spinoza at 5 PM today to talk about how your contributions may further Strex Corp.!**"

She had never heard of anyone else ever getting a time on their. It had always been a talking point that when you received your letter you had at least till the end of your work day to be able to attend or otherwise they might make you fill out your own Termination papers. She almost felt like going down to Human Resources, filling a complaint and seeing the blood run of whoever had given her a _deadline_ where no one else got one. It was some kind of mockery, it had to be. As though they didn't expect her to be able to keep a deadline or do anything punctual.

She felt ridiculed as though by some in joke the whole floor was in on. The mere idea of the whole floor, every Employee against her, made her heart rate increase and breaths to become deep and long drawn out in an attempt to steady herself. She had been hated before, the orphanage children had made sure of that, but now she had to deal with it at work.

She quickly pulled out her phone and texted the only person she knew would be able to help, the only friendly face she knew in the whole of Strex. She texted Daniel a short and to the point message and gently placed the phone a foot away from her before she let her rage and self-induced sadness get control of her limbs and shatter the small device.

Daniel was extremely efficient, he was there within only a few minutes and found her standing in front of the office door. She heard him approach and could smell him as he entered the room, but she was far too afraid and shaken to greet him or do anything else but stare vacantly at the door she must enter through in just a few agonizing minutes. This was it, this was the end of her dreams shattered at the end of some cruel joke planned by the whole department. There was a clock ticking the seconds away to the tone of her rapid heartbeat. In the distance behind the cubical walls she could feel the eyes watching her and the whispers of doubt and anticipation of failure fluttering I her ears. She went to suck in a breath hoping to steady herself, but as her nails drew blood from her palms he found herself instead hyperventilating.

Then the world went still, for a second the rood got brighter, and she could distinctly feel the warmth of a hand, a familiar hand, the only hand she knew, rest evenly and calm on her shoulder. She took a moment then released her breath and started to breathe normally, her shaking went to a simmer and she found herself able to peel her nails away from flesh of her hands.

That was right, the world had always been against her, but there was one person who believed in her; one person that she regarded as her most wise teacher and friend. She turned to look at him, his face held a smile so wonderful she thought she might be dreaming; it was full of such love and care that she felt it was a gift from the Smiling God themselves.

She nodded and that was all that needed to be said. Daniel believed in her, it didn't matter if the whole building of Strex HQ was against her or if it was just some anxiety fueled dilution. She had at least one friend in this world, in this company and if he the being who was engineered to be perfect could believe in _her_ then there was plenty of reason for her to believe in herself too. She straightened her clothes, and gave Daniel a quick hug and thanks before she rapped on the door and walked into her fate.

It had been an hour, a solid ruthless hour. But after much deliberation and negotiation Lauren emerged from the room victorious. She stood outside of the door, gazing around the room as though she was seeing it for the first time. Employees brave enough peeked from around the corners of their cubicles to see the new tag that simply read 'Manager' now donning her soaked clothes. She stood tall, proud, and felt unmatched. She looked to the newly acquired pen in her hand and smiled. She hadn't realize just how mighty the pen could truly be.


	4. Dirty Secrets

More Than Just a Bio-Machine

By Eule Vix

Disclaimer: I do not own Welcome to Night Vale nor do not make money off of this fic.

Chapter 4: Dirty Secrets

* * *

_The drag to her office had been utterly too long, or maybe it hadn't been long enough. She didn't know when the tears had started to fall, but for once she was grateful that her reputation caused many to run in the opposite direction. She wasn't sure she would hold back from trying to expand her collection some more, and besides the halls were looking a bit dry as of late._

_But she was side tracking. Maybe that was a good thing because it was just the pure exhaustion from the day that was stopping her from being wracked by sobs._

_He wouldn't want that, he would never have wanted that. He would have wanted her to smile, even if it wasn't to be productive, he would want her to smile._

_She sauntered over to her desk, placing the box down, the burn of her muscles being relieved and instead replaced with the ache of over use. She place a note on the box, indicating for her PA to place the newly acquired resources to be properly stored later in her privet freezer, before she sat down for the first time that day. She relaxed into the chair hands cross in her lap as she wondered if she might go home. Wondering if this time she might be able to actually fall asleep._

[+]-[+]-[+]

It was mid-summer in the year of 2011, and in a matter of four short years she had accomplished so much. She had been promoted twice more, now a manager apart of the third level division, right below the Program Directors. Now she was going to celebrate. She hadn't before, seeing that though they were important promotions, none were this close to the long desired position she wanted, the one that she had dreamed of after only a few years in the orphanage. She was so close she could near taste the blood of the Vice President on her lips; or maybe that was the residual from her most recent promotion, she wasn't entirely sure.

But tonight was a night to celebrate, to jump and sing in the approved Strex songs and dances and there was only one person she wanted to do this with; only one who she deemed good enough to be in her company.

It was still an hour before Daniel would show up, on time by the minute as always. He was never late, he was always punctual, he was after all perfect. She busied herself over the stove multitasking a variety of foods in the pots and pans that each covered a burner. Some was for Daniel, his diet being a very strict cooked mass of specific edible chemicals and oils, and the rest was for Lauren herself. She didn't usually cook, finding it tiresome and tedious when only cooking for one, but tonight was an exception and she was glad to do it; anything to repay Daniel for his continued friendship. Anything to keep him smiling.

As she loomed over the stove she reminisced on the days past, of the people she had met, deals she had struck, and one person in particular who had been giving her interesting side glances as they both past each other down the halls. She was glad to be in her own house, it was almost a year ago that she had bought it and though it had taken some getting used to she found it nice to finally be able to have some privacy to herself and her thoughts. She let her mind wander into dangerous places, areas that at work she dare not think of.

She had to stop herself when she felt a lump in her throat. She wanted to tell someone about it, but she didn't feel that even Daniel might be safe enough for a secret like that.

The time passed and just as the clock struck 8, there came a rap at her door. She hurried to the door, immediately wrapping her arms around the much taller bio-machine nearly crushing the flowers he had grasped in his hand.

"Daniel! So glad you could make it!" She held him at arm's length and looked him up and down. All she could think was that he looked absolutely dashing. She was surprised no one had jumped on taking up the poor man's time with how much of a looker he was. She was secretly glad though, it would mean that she would see less of her friend if so. For now she was glad they were both single, that doing dinners like this would appease the higher ups and keep the ever watchful eyes of the Smiling God appeased.

"As am I Lauren. May I come in? The life signs of the flowers seem to be dwindling…"

"Oh! Yes, of course here Daniel." She ran into the kitchen and grabbed a large pitcher she had. She hadn't thought to buy a flower vase when she had moved in and made a mental note to buy one for any possible later dates they might share. She filled the pitcher with water and eased the yellow sunflowers out of Daniel's hand and into the makeshift vase. She stepped back and eyed the bouquet, idling wondering how he knew what her favorite flowers were. She decided they were too pretty to leave sitting on the counter of the kitchen and moved them to the coffee table in the living room, the dining table already too crowded with food for it to be anything but a distraction.

"There." She cooed, touching the pale yellow petals, the artificial red veins of the flower off-setting and making the whole of the flower seem brighter. It reminded her of Strex, of the delicate beauty that was the blood and sweat and viscera of its employees put into full bloom, achieving all that they could. She loved sunflowers as much as she loved Strex. She pulled away from them though and put her attention back to Daniel, who had taken to awkwardly standing near the door, fidgeting with something in his pocket. She guided him to the table making small talk about work and the most recent layoff of firing she had to conduct as the two started to serve themselves.

It was half way through the meal when Lauren became complete sure there was something wrong with Daniel.

He was usually smug, would talk of procedures she had not thought of, and new ways of conducting business. But today he was quite, only the light hum of his electrical components could be heard between her sentences. She could feel her fingers twitch with a need to grab him by the shoulders and demand that he tell her what was plaguing him, with promises that the problem would then be soon alleviated. She held back though, knowing that she could get him to tell her his problems anyway. Like her he had always been alone, she knew that from when she had attacked the two girls. They had developed a friendship of shared lunches when no one else would and talked of projects when all partners feared being in the same room. If there was anything she could do to repay him for his companionship over so many lonely years, to tell him of how he had many times been her only string to dangle from so many times, she would.

"Daniel," There was a sudden whirl of fans as though he had been in some slightly powered down mode, his head jerked up to look Lauren in the eyes. "If there's something ailing you, keeping you from your full working potential, you can tell me you know that." He was quiet, and eyed Lauren carefully, his eyes focusing and refocusing.

"I can't do that Lauren."

"Why not?" She could feel her anxiety start to build. What would be important to detrimental that would keep Daniel from being honest with her? Had she done something wrong, had she hurt him somehow? Did she let go of a new friend of his without knowing?

"I don't want you to be hurt." The voices in her head quelled, their interest now peeked instead of left to ravage at herself.

"Hurt me?" She started to fear the worst, she trusted Daniel but who was to say that he would never want to have a promotion as well. He had been stuck as an Inter Leader since she had known him. She had on many occasions petitioned for him to receive his own promotion, but they had always been declined; the statements saying that he was a bio-machine and he was where he belonged. The idea never occurred to her that he might have been planning to wait till she got high enough to take her place, to take his promotion into his own hands.

"Yes. What I have gotten myself into is a most…_unsettling_ problem. Not one approved by Strex." She let out a breath she had been holding. She was relieved her worst nightmare was not coming to reality and would instead stay in her fevered dreams as it had for years. So it was just a secret, Lauren could handle secrets.

"Well Daniel," she placed her silverware down on the table and laced her fingers together, resting her head against them. "what if I told you I have a _unsettling_ problem as well." He raised an eye brow, his face became more lax, his fans could be heard whirling away. "What if we made a trade Daniel?" she did her best to stay calm, but the slightest creep of giddy excitement could be heard in her voice. For so _long_ had she wanted, needed, to tell someone her secret.

He nodded and she told him of the girl in the hall way and the long held stares and slight winks from around corners. When she was done he placed a hand on his forehead as he burst into laughter. She couldn't help but feel ruffled. She had just shared her most intimate of secrets and her only friend was laughing at her! She crossed her arms and scowled at him.

"Please tell what is _so funny_ Daniel? I would _love_ to know." He did his best to regain his composure, the giggles slowly subsiding.

"By the Smiling God…" He removed his hand from his face, and that smile, that wonderful bright shining smile was graced on his face as he looked at her. She couldn't stay mad at him.

"Lauren," he started, he reached across the table, standing up to be able to grab both her hands in his, and the most pure joy could be heard in his voice. "Lauren! His name is _Kevin_."


End file.
